Meet DoubleBlind, The New Magazine Focused On Psychedelics

The psychedelics market is growing, as more jurisdictions legalize or decriminalize different form of them.

In this context, Shelby Hartman and Madison Margolin are launching DoubleBlind, a biannual print magazine and digital media company focused on psychedelics.

Contributors around the world will share stories ranging from South America’s ayahuasca tourism industry to the trend of microdosing in Silicon Valley, to groundbreaking research at leading universities.

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But this is not a magazine about pointless acid trips; it’s about “the depression epidemic, the corporatization of medicine, and the aching people feel for spirituality or some other collective sense of meaning—all presented in visually compelling, rigorous long-form features, poetry, art, and photo essays,” the founders explain.

"I've always believed deeply in the power of journalism to illuminate truth, to spark meaningful dialogue and to hold those in power accountable," Hartman told Benzinga. "DoubleBlind is about all those things. It's about going deep with each other and ourselves and it's about making sure that the tools we need, as humans, to heal are accessible to everyone, rather than just the few.”

For her, and many others in this space, psychedelics are where cannabis was about a decade ago. And, for the first time ever, they seem to be on track to become legal medications in the United States.

“An industry is going to pop around them; it's only a matter of time,” she predicts. “As journalists, it's our responsibility to make sure that that industry is fair and equitable."

Hartman and Margolin point out psychedelics aren't fringe anymore, bringing up the examples of Michael Pollan’s book being a bestseller last year and Joe Rogan having millions of listeners on his podcast.

Click here for more information about the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference Oct. 22-23 in Chicago.

“It's time for a dedicated news outlet to cover these potent substances in a way that's accessible to people who love them and people who are just curious about them. That's what DoubleBlind is about,” Hartman said.

“Cannabis has been rebranded in the last ten years as a plant for wellness. That's in large part because of magazines and news outlets dedicated to covering the politics and research behind cannabis. DoubleBlind is about doing the same thing for psychedelics.”

All images courtesy of DoubleBlind. Magazine pictures by Michael Issac Stein; founder pictures by Georgia Love.